I don’t understand Christan’s sometimes…
…for example us fighting the “war on Christmas” What exactly is the war? Are we gonna spend less on gifts? Are we afraid it might disappear? As far as I can tell we are fighting to keep Christ the center of the season, especially December 25th. But there are at least two major flaws with that. 1. When in the last 60 years has Jesus ever been the center of the holiday? The time of the year when materialism, selfishness, and consumerism is at its worst. 2. Also, Jesus probably wasn’t even born in December (trust me look it up!).
I can’t believe that as Christians we make these stands, and create a culture war based on the mainstream. It never ends well for us. What is the best we hope to accomplish? At the very best we can hope for people to say Merry Christmas, and for advertisers to display Merry Christmas. (Last time I checked Walmart wasn’t Christian) But Ddes that save souls? Does that glorify the Lord? Does that guide people closer to Him? Probably not. Look at it like this…what does it tell an atheist when all around is Merry CHRISTmas…nothing. What does it say about Christ when Christmas is synonymous with shopping yourself in to debt to get your spoiled kids a pair of 200 dollar Air Jordan’s.
At worse, the war we have either created or allowed ourselves to be involved in polarizes Christians as “extremists” shoving their political and religious power down the throats of those who do not claim Christ as King. As much as we have a right to say Merry Christmas, they have a right to say whatever they want to say. They more we force Jesus on to people the farther they run will from him.
We as Christians need to focus less on what the world says the season is, and more how we can manifest the incarnation here on earth. Maybe the world would see Christ in a better light if Christians were feeding the hungry the whole time saying Merry Christmas. Maybe the world would wonder what happened in the small town 2000 years ago, if Christians worried less about the media saying Happy Holidays, and worried more about those that can’t afford their heating bill during the winter season.
What we have to realize is that the more we force Merry Christmas the more others reject it. When the phrase “Merry Christmas” is always used it can cheapen the meaning. But what if the whole world said Happy Holidays….Well one person saying Merry Christmas could actually say something.
Very early in Christian history there was a symbol for Christians. It was called the Ichthys, or as we know it the Jesus fish. Basically the spelling for Fish was an acronym for Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior. That is why you see the Jesus fish with the Greek letters. 
So, because being a Christian was punishable by death, you couldn’t outright ask someone if they were a follower. So the Christians devised a secret code using the fish to distinguish other believers, and inviting unity between themselves. It was a subversive approach to fellowship.
This could be what Christmas becomes, let the world (which doesn’t worship Christ) be the world, and us Christians we can actually have Christmas back, where it belongs in the courts of the Body of Christ. Then when you are in the store and the clerk says Happy Holidays, you can look at him and say, “Yea, Merry Christmas.” In that you are subversive in sharing love, and standing up for Christ.
To the Christian, especially the one who thinks there is a war, what do you really want to accomplish? Forcing people to say merry Christmas? Lets take back our sacred holiday, and keep it holy.
To the non-believer, I am sorry, sorry that we have forced Jesus at you, I apologize.
The war is over, so let’s stop fighting.
JC
